America’s Truth and Consequence

True and false, good and bad, openly become categories of the political economy; they define the market value of men and things. The commodity form becomes universal, while at the same time, with the disappearance of free competition, the ‘inherent’ quality of the merchandise ceases to be a decisive factor in its marketability.

A President is sold like an automobile, and it seems hopelessly old-fashioned to judge his political statements in terms of their truth or falsehood – what validates them is their vote-keeping or vote-getting quality.

To be sure, the President must be able to perform the function for which he is bought…

Herbert Marcuse, Counter-Revolution and Revolt. 1972